The Solon Planning Commission will debate Tuesday whether to ban industrial uses at the Sears/Marc's shopping plaza on SOM Center Road as part of a change to the zoning code.
(Kaitlyn Ridel, Northeast Ohio Media Group)

The Solon Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to discuss changes to the zoning code, particularly new bans in residential and commercial areas.

“Our goal is to protect the residential quality of neighborhoods,” said Planning Commission member Robert Pelunis.

Here are five major proposed changes: from the draft Solon Planning Director Rob Frankland submitted in November.

1. Outlawing pigs, cows and other farm animals: The current zoning code allows residents to keep large farm animals such as cows and pigs, a vestige of Solon’s rural past. The commission wants to outlaw large farm animals such as pigs, cows, goats, donkeys and horses.

Residents cans still keep small farm animals (less than 30 inches at the shoulder) as pets. For example, residents could keep chickens and ducks, but the commission limits them to two farm pets per household.

2. Allowing driveway parking: Under current zoning code, cars are not allowed to be parked in a driveway in front of a home overnight. Franklin is recommending the commission remove that restriction from the code. The amendment would change the code to allow cars parked in a driveway overnight.

4. Removing hotels from multi-family zoning. Under current code, multi-family zoning districts, which are intended for apartments, allow use for hotels, clinics, sanitariums, boarding homes and colleges. The amendment would ban these uses in multi-family districts primarily zoned for apartments.

5. Allow retail where it already is: The current zoning code doesn’t allow retail in the Sears/Marc’s shopping plaza on SOM Center Road. The amendment would allow retail and ban industrial uses that are currently allowed such as open air coal and fuel storage yards, frozen food lockers, soft drink bottling, bakeries and creameries.

The final version of the amendments will be on the ballot in November.